Cell 2016[Mar]; 164 (6): 1233-47 PMID26967289show ga
Cancer heterogeneity, which enables clonal survival and treatment resistance, is shaped by active immune responses. Antigen-specific T cells can control cancer, as revealed clinically by immunotherapeutics such as adoptive T?cell transfer and checkpoint blockade. The host immune system is thus a powerful tool that if better harnessed could significantly enhance the efficacy of chemotherapeutics and improve outcomes for cancer sufferers. To realize this vision, however, a number of research frontiers must be tackled. These include developing strategies for neutralizing tumor-promoting inflammation, broadening T cell repertoires (via vaccination), and elucidating the mechanisms by which immune cells organize tumor microenvironments to regulate T cell activity. Such efforts will pave the way for identifying new targets for combination therapies that overcome resistance to current treatments and promote long-term cancer control.